Ticket printing mechanism



58512. 10, 1946. s, w s 2,407,522

TICKET PRINTING MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1942 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Lawrence J. MW/ams INVENTOR RNEYS Sept. 10, 1946. Q L. WILLIAMS I,2,407,522,

TICK-ET PRINTING MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1942' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ATT RNEYS Lawrence 1 W/'///'am5 Patented Sept. 10, 1946 TICKETPRINTING 'M ECHANI SM Lawrence .S. Williams, Toledo, Ohio, assignor toToledo Scale Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of New JerseyApplication April 25, 1942, Serial No. 440,479

1 Claim. 1

This invention relatesto mechanism forissuing printed tickets, and .inparticular to such mechanism .for use with printing scales of the typedescribed and explained in my United States Letters Patent No.2,020,982. It is an object of this invention to provide a mechanism forautomatically feeding one or more ticket strips through a weightprinting mechanism toreceive the imprint of the weight of loads on theweighing scale to which the mechanism is attached.

It is another object of this invention to provide a mechanism forprinting an individual ticket with the weight of a load being weighed onthe scale to which the mechanism is attached.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for varyingthe size of tickets printed by a weight ticket printing attachment.

More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the description,in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating apreferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: I

Fig. I is a'view'in elevation of mechanism embodying the invention,certain parts being broken away.

Fig. II is a fragmentary plan view of aportion of the mechanism shown inFig. I.

Fig. III is a fragmentary .horizontal sectional view, takensubstantially on the line III--III of Fig. .I.

Fig. IV is a detailed vertical sectional view, taken substantially onthe line IV.IV of Fig. II.

Fig. V is a viewin-elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. I but takenfrom the opposite side, certain parts being shown in section and certainparts being broken away.

Fig. VI is a detailed sectional view, taken substantially on the lineVI-VI of Fig. V.

Fig. VII is a View in elevation, taken from the left-hand side of Fig.I, certain parts being broken away and certain parts being shown insection to more clearly explain their operation.

Fig. VIII is a fragmentary detailed sectional View, taken substantiallyon the line VIII-VIII of Fig. VII.

Fig. IX is an enlarged fragmentary view of the end of a paper feedingtrough forming aportion of the device illustrated in Fig. I.

Fig. X is a fragmentary enlarged view in vertical section of the paperfeeding trough, a portion of which is shown in Fig. IX.

These specific drawings and the specific dc scription that followsmerely disclose and illustrate the invention and are not intended toim-- pose limitations upon the claim.

The improved ticket issuing printing mechanism which embodies theinvention is intended for use in printing scales of the type disclosedin United States LettersPatent No. 2,020,982 and, therefore, theWeighing scale itself is disclosed only fragmentarily herein to pointout the connection of the present invention therewith.

A light thin metallic disk I!) (Figs. I, VI and VII) is rotated in avertical plane in response to, and in proportion to, the weight of loadson the platform of the scale by the load counterbalancing mechanism ofthe scale. The disk I0 bears a series of raised printing indicia II(Fig. VII). That one of the indicia II which corresponds to the weightof the load on the scale is moved by the scale into the proper printingposition.

Two rods i2 are secured to a frame member l3 of the weighing scale andextend horizontally backward from the weighing scale mechanism. Anabutment I4 is mounted on the rods I2 for horizontal sliding movementand its flat rear face I5 is adjacent the side of the disk In which doesnot carry the printing indicia I I. A horizontally slida'ble platenframe I6 is also mounted on the rods l2 and is adapted to slide on theserods toward the abutment M. The platen frame I6 carries a platen H,which is attached to the frame l6 by means of a resiliently mountedscrew 18 which has a knurled adjusting head IS. The platen I1 is kept inproper alignment by means of pins 20 which are secured thereto and whichenter, holes 2| bored in the face of the platen frame IS. The platen I!has a fiat forward face which isdirected toward the face ii of theabutment 84 but is located on the opposite side of the disk 10therefrom.

.Asolenoid housing 22 is mounted on the frame [3 of the weighing scaleimmediately beneath the location of the horizontal slide rods l2. A corerod :23 of the solenoid has a cross head 24 attached to its upper :endand two pairs of toggle links 25 are connected between the cross head 24and the lower portion of the abutment l4 and platen frame It. Upwardmovement of the core rod '23, when the solenoid is energized, pushesoutwardly on the toggle links '25 and draws the abutment I4 and platenframe 16 toward each other to squeeze'the disk 10 between the face l5 ofthe abutment and the platen ll. .An inked ribbon 26 extends through thespace between the disk 10 and the face of the platen l1.

A bracket .21 is bolted to the rear side of the solenoid frame 22 andhas two upwardly extending arms 28 (Figs. I, II and V) between whichthere extend a horizontal shaft 29. The shaft 29 extends through thearms 28 and supports a substantially U shaped frame 36 which extendsbackwardly and upwardly from the shaft 29 and which is fixedly held inplace by means of a brace 3| riveted to it and secured to the bracket21. A rocker arm 32 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 29 near one of itsends. One end of the rocker arm 32 consists of a finger 33 which isengageable by a roller 34 mounted on one end of the cross head 24. Theopposite end of the rocker arm 52 is shape-d into a segment gear 35.

A pin 35 (Fig. II) is riveted to the rocker arm 32 and is engaged by oneend of a spiral spring 31 which surrounds the shaft 29. The opposite endof the spring 3'! is engaged with a pin 38 extending from a collar 39which is fixedly secured to the shaft 29. The spiral sprin 31 is woundin the proper direction to turn the rocker arm 32 in a clockwisedirection (Fig. 1). One end of the shaft 23 extends through acastellated 001- v iar 40 (Fig. II) which is located outside the frame35 and engaged by a pin 4| extending transversely through the shaft 29.At the opposite end of the shaft 23 are located a cotter pin 42, whichextends transversely through the shaft 29, and a turning pin 43 whichalso extends transversely through the shaft 29. In order to increase ordecrease the tension of the spring 37 on the rocker arm 32, the cotterpin 42 is removed and the shaft 29 moved longitudinally a sufficientdistance to disengage the pin 4! from the slot in the castellated collar4%. The shaft 29 is then rotated, by means of the pin 43, in the properdirection to increase or decrease the tension of the spring 31, the pin4! once more engaged in a slot of the collar 45 and the cotter pin 42reinserted.

A stroke limiting rod 44 (Figs. I andIII) is pivotally connected. to thelower end of the segment gear 35 and extends downwardly through thehollow interior of a vertically extending threaded sleeve 45. The lowerend of the rod 44 carries a washer 4B which engages with the lowershoulders of the sleeve 45. The exterior of the sleeve 45 is threadedand screwed into a horizontally extending ear 41 of the bracket 21. Fourlongitudinal serrations 48 are cut in the outer surface of the sleeve 45and are engageable by a manually movable latch 49 which is pivoted bymeans of a pin 55 extending through the ear 41. A wire spring extendsthrough the lower end of the pin 50 and into a hole bored in the ear 41.To adjust the length of stroke of the rocker arm 32 and the segment gear35, which is a portion thereof, the latch 49 is swung, against theaction of the spring 5!, out of engagement with the serrations 48. Thesleeve 45 is then rotated to move it up which permits the rocker arm 32to be swung in a clockwise direction (Fig. I) by the action of thespring 31 or down which moves the arm 32 downwardly against the actionof the spring 31 by the engagement of the washer 46 with the end of thesleeve 45. Since the roller 34, which is connected to the cross head 24and which engages the finger 33 of the rocker arm 32, moves through afixed distance for each energization of the solenoid, the adjustment ofthe sleeve 45 just described varies the lost motion distance between theroller 34 and the finger 33. Thus, regardless of the adjustment of thesleeve 45, the segment gear 35 is'always swung downwardly to the samepoint pinned to the shaft 53. The downward stroke of the segment'gear 35rotates the pinion 52 and ratchet wheel 54 without turning the shaft 53since the pawls 55 merely snap past the teeth of the ratchet wheel 54.However, the upward stroke of the segment gear 35 (under the returningimpetus of the spring 3'!) rotates the shaft 53 in a counterclockwisedirection (Figs. I and IV). This also rotates a knurled feeding wheel 5?which is pinned on the shaft 53 and an escapement Wheel 58 which ispinned to the end of the shaft 53 opposite from the pinion 52. Theescapement wheel 58 (Figs. II, VII and VIII) is located in the interiorof an escapement housing 59 which is mounted on the end of the shaft 53and prevented from turning by engagement between its outer wall and theframe member 30. An escapement pawl 65 is rockably mounted on a pin 5iand has two pointed arms 62 which are alternately engageable with theteeth of the escapement wheel 58. A counterweight 63 is attached to theescapement pawl 6%! to cause it to rock with a pendulum-like motion. Theescapement mechanism just described serves as a governor to prevent thereturn movement of the segment gear 35 under impetus of the spring 31from being abrupt or sudden.

The knurled feeding wheel 51 extends down into a longitudinal opening inthe uppe wall of a hollow paper guide. 84 which leads from a position inback of, and below, the feeding wheel 51 to a position between theopposing faces of the abutment l4 and platen frame !5. The periphery ofthe feeding Wheel 51 is engaged with the upper surface of a ticket strip65 which extends through the ticket guide 54. A duplicate ticket strip65 also extends through the ticket guide 64 beneath the ticket strip 55.

A pressure roller 61 (Figs. V and V1) is rotatably mounted on a pin 68which is threaded through one arm of a bell crank 69 pivotally mountedin a backwardly extending arm 70 of the bracket 21. A spring H (Fig. V)extends between the other arm of the bell crank 59 and an adjustablespring hook 12 mounted on the arm 10 of the bracket 21. The peripheralportion of the pressure roller 6'! extends through a slot 54 in thelower wall of the ticket guide 64 and is engaged with the undersurfaceof the duplicate ticket strip 65. Pressure exerted by the spring Hforces the pressure roller 6! toward the feeding wheel 51 and thispressure feeds the two ticket strip 55 and 66.

The upper end of the feeding guide 54 (Figs. IX and X) has squareshoulders and a bellied center portion. When the ticket strips 55 and 55are initially inserted in the mechanism, the duplicate ticket strip 65is out with a centered spear point end. When this duplicate ticket stripreaches the bellied upper end of the guide 64, because of the fact thatthe guide takes a sharp turn upward into the space between the abutmentl4 and platen frame it, the sharp spear point on the entering end of theduplicate ticket strip 66 adheres to the wall of the guide 64 havin fthegreater curvature and thus is led in behind the inked ribbon 26 (asshown in Fig. X). The entering end of the ticket strip 65 is cut on thediagonal with the point thus created being at one side of the strip.Therefore, when this diagonally pointed end of the ticket strip reachesthe upper end of the guide 64 the leading portion of the strip isbetween the square shouldered portion of the guide 64 and the strip 65is not permitted to follow the duplicate strip 66 but is swung forwardlyin front of the ribbon 26.

Two curved exit guides I3 and 74 are formed in that portion of themechanism cover which is located above the space between the abutment I4and platen I! in line with the upper end of the ticket guide 64. Theexit guide 13 is curved around into close juxtaposition with the face ofthe light thin metallic disk It] and guides the duplicate ticket strip66 out through an opening 15 between the exit guides 13 and 14. Theticket strip 65 is led over the exit guide 14 and beneath a cut-offknife 76 secured on the exterior of the mechanism housing.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the automatic loadcounterbalancing mechanism of the Weighing scale has counterbalanced theload on the scale it has also rotated the disk I6 until that one of theindicia I I corresponding to the weight of the load on the scale islocated on the center line between the face l5 of the abutment I 4 andthe face of the platen I! where the ticket 65 and duplicate ticket 66are located. The operator then closes a switch which energizes thesolenoid located in the housing 22 and snaps the solenoid rod 23upwardly. This moves the abutment I4 and platen frame [6 toward eachother, and pressure between the abutment face I5 and platen l1 squeezesthe disk l0, duplicate ticket strip 66, inked ribbon 26 and ticket strip65 together, printing an impression of the raised indicia II on both theduplicate ticket strip 66 and the ticket strip 65. I

At the same time, the roller 34, which is mounted on the cross head 24,has moved upwardly and, depending upon the adjustment of the sleeve 45as already described, strikes the finger 33 of the rocker arm 32.Thisswings the segment gear 35 downwardly against the tension of thespring 3'! and rotates the pinion 52. However, due to the ratchetmechanism shown in Fig. IV, the shaft 53 is not rotated.

After the type impression has been made, the electrical circuit to thesolenoid is opened and spring means (no-t shown) retracts the solenoidcore rod 23. This moves the roller 34 downwardly out of the way of thefinger 33 of the rocker arm 32 and the tension of the spring 31 swingsthe rocker arm and the segment gear 35 in a clockwise direction (Fig.I). This rotates the shaft 53 and the feeding wheel 51 and, dependingupon the total length of the stroke of the segment gear 35 as adjustedby the sleeve 45, feeds the ticket strips 65 and 66 a certain distancethrough the ticket guide 64 and a portion of the ticket strip 65 ofpredetermined length is fed out beneath the cut-off knife 16. Thisticket carries an imprint of the weight on the scale and may be torn offagainst the knife to serve as a weight indication.

The tickets on the strip 65 may be gummed on the side adjacent theplaten I! or pasted on the carton whose weight they bear; or they may bestrips of light cardboard and used in various ways. The duplicate ticketstrip 66 may be carried upwardly and wound on a duplicate ticket spoolor led to a duplicate ticket box.

The embodiment of the invention that has been disclosed may be modifiedto meet various requirements.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a printer for a weighing scale, paper feeding apparatus comprising,in combination, a fixed stroke reciprocable power source for actuatingthe printer, a pivoted lever driven in one direction by the powersource, a sprin urging the pivoted lever in the opposite direction, asegment gear on the end of the pivoted lever, a pinion meshing with thesegment gear, a paper engaging roller, an unidirectional clutchoperatively connecting the pinion and the roller during the spring urgedmovement of the lever, and an adjustable stop for limiting the springurged travel of the lever thereby determining the paper feed perprinting cycle.

LAWRENCE S. WILLIAMS.

